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INFO CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
MSGID/NAVADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/APR//
SUBJ/CASUALTY AND MORTUARY AFFAIRS PROCESSES IN RESPONSE TO COVID-
19//
REF/A/MEMO/OSD/11MAR2020//
AMPN/REF A IS MEMO FROM SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
FOR DOD COMPONENTS IN RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE.//
RMKS/1. This NAVADMIN announces interim casualty and mortuary
affairs program changes necessary to mitigate risk to the force due
to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) national emergency. The
mission of casualty and mortuary affairs is a sacred duty, but these
temporary changes are necessary to comply with reference (a) and
provide standardization across the Navy in order to preserve force
readiness, limit the continuing spread of the virus, and most
importantly, protect and preserve the health and welfare of our
Sailors, civilians, the families and friends of our injured or
fallen Shipmates. This NAVADMIN is issued pending Office of the
Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Department of the Navy (DON) policy
still in development. Upon release of the OSD and DON guidance, we
will modify this NAVADMIN accordingly.
2. Bedside Travel. Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP) approval is
required to make bedside travel arrangements for all combat zone
evacuations and Very Seriously Injured and Seriously Injured
(VSI/SI) cases deemed warranted by a Department of Defense (DoD)
physician and where the servicing hospital can support the visit.
Eligible travelers who self-fund travel will be reimbursed within
the authorized limits of the Joint Travel Regulations.
3. Casualty Assistance Calls Officer (CACO) Notifications and
Casualty Assistance Support. In person CACO notification is
authorized only for the Primary Next of Kin (PNOK), unless
Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) directs phone
notification due to the health and safety risk in the affected
location. CNIC approval is required for any additional in-person
notifications and for any in-person enduring CACO casualty
assistance support of the PNOK and other NOK beneficiaries.
4. Casualty Benefits Processing. Benefit processing will be
prioritized with the most critical benefits processed first (e.g.
Death Gratuity (DG), 365 days of housing allowance (BAH 365),
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI)) for eligible
beneficiaries. In areas where in person CACO notification or
continuing contact has not been authorized by CNIC for health and
safety reasons, the use of alternative beneficiary contact methods
(phone/email/express mail) will be pursued to enable timely benefits
processing.
5. Dignified Transfer (DT). Family travel to witness the DT at
Dover Air Base is temporarily suspended until DoD travel
restrictions are lifted. The exception approval authority for
family travel is CNP and exceptions will be considered on a case-by-
case basis. Attendance at DTs is limited to mission essential
personnel only. As such, not only is family member participation
temporarily restricted, but also no unit participation at the DT.
The Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations (AFMAO) Commander or
Deputy or on-call general/flag officer will officiate the DT, and
the carry team will be provided by AFMAO.
6. Escorting remains of Service Members and civilian employees.
Escorts are not authorized to accompany remains during air travel.
Per DoD policy, Aircraft Commanders will serve as the official
escort on military air or military contracted aircraft. CNIC
approval is required for escort assignment during the ground
transportation portions of remains movement pending assessment of
health and safety risk in the affected location(s). If conditions
permit, CNIC will assign an escort to travel with remains to the
departure airport and a receiving escort to travel with remains from
the arrival airport to the receiving funeral home or place of final
disposition.
7. Funeral Honors. The requirement to provide military funeral
honors at any funeral or memorial function (to include interments)
for veterans and Service Members is waived until further notice.
Families requesting military funeral honors will be informed that
funeral honors are suspended and that honors may be provided at a
later date when the DoD travel restrictions have been lifted and the
request can be accommodated. The exception approval authority for
funeral honors support is CNIC and will be considered for
exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
8. Funeral Travel. Funded family travel to funerals is temporarily
suspended until DoD travel restrictions are lifted. The exception
authority for family travel is CNP and exceptions will be considered
on a case-by-case basis. With the delay of funeral travel, expenses
for the sheltering of remains will be covered as a primary expense
and will not count against reimbursable allowances. Eligible
travelers who self-fund travel will be reimbursed within the
authorized limits of the Joint Travel Regulations.
9. Present and past conflict/command memorial service travel.
Family funded travel for funerals is temporarily suspended until
travel restrictions are lifted. The exception approval authority
for family travel is CNP and exceptions will be considered on a
case-by-case basis.
10. Waiver requests for non-time critical actions should be
endorsed by the first flag officer or Senior Executive Service (SES)
in the chain of command and routed to PERS-00C who will coordinate
the approval process with the proper decision-making authority. The
determination regarding CACO PNOK notification is time-critical and
should be made by CNIC after consultation with the appropriate Navy
Region Commander. In all cases where exceptions are granted,
Sailors will strictly follow all Center for Disease Control (CDC)
restrictions and Navy guidance to include maintaining social
distance and avoiding large gatherings.
11. Taking care of our wounded, our Fallen and their families
remains a sacred responsibility and we will restore the normal
levels of support as soon as the conditions allow.
12. This NAVADMIN will remain in effect until superseded or
canceled, whichever occurs first.
13. The points of contact for Navy Casualty Affairs are CDR Jason
Eaton, PERS-00C, 901-874-6854/jason.c.eaton(at)navy.mil or Mr. Al
Gorski, PERS-00C, 901-874-4559/alan.gorski(at)navy.mil. The points
of contact for CNIC Casualty and Funeral Honors (N00K) are
Ms. Nyeika Hollien, Funeral Honors Program Manager,
202-433-6892/nyeika.hollien(at)navy.mil and Mr. Michael Hill,
Casualty Assistance Coordinator,
(202) 433-4927/michael.hill1(at)navy.mil.
14. Released by Vice Admiral John B. Nowell, Jr, N1.//
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